Worth It
by NCIS Obsession
Summary: Tag to 9x13 - A Desperate Man. Ziva tells Tony about Ray standing her up at dinner the night before, and Tony has a "what if" moment. What if Tony had been there for Ziva when Ray was not? One-shot.


**I'm back with another fanfiction! This one is not Tiva… JUST KIDDING! I can't not write Tiva stuff. It's becoming a problem. Oh well. I finally gave in and got this one finished, so I really hope you like this one-shot. Tag to 9x13 - A Desperate Man where Ziva tells Tony about Ray not showing up for their date. Highly recommend watching that clip, but only because it helps with visualizing how I describe some things.**

 **Here we go…**

"He does not appreciate me," Ziva said, her eyes brimming with tears, but clearly holding them back in front of Tony.

At these words, so filled with emotion and hurt, and so unlike Ziva, Tony had a choice to make. Was this one of those few times where Ziva needed serious, understanding Tony? Or should he crack a joke and hope it improves her mood?

Testing the waters, Tony gave a sort of smile, responding with "If I had a dollar for every time a girl said that to me…"

At first it seemed to have worked. "Ah," Ziva said with amusement. But soon after, she looked away, lost in thought and unable to make eye contact with Tony.

As she went into an explanation about what happened with Ray, Tony looked on, his heart breaking at the sound of Ziva's shaky voice. Her beautiful brown eyes shined with tears threatening to spill over, all while phrases like "he never showed, Tony," and "I waited in that restaurant, alone, for three hours," pierced through Tony's heart and caused a sickened feeling in his stomach.

Tony stayed quiet, allowing Ziva to get all of this off her chest, and allowing himself time to decide what the best thing to say to her would be.

Of course, what he wanted to tell her was that he appreciated her, that he would never treat her that way, that she could have called him and he would have been there in an instant to keep her company, cheer her up, comfort her.

But he couldn't. Ziva still loved Ray, despite what he had done. He could see it in her eyes. She was hurt, and she didn't understand why he had done it, but part of her heart still belonged to the CIA agent.

It seemed likely that Ziva was telling him all this because she wanted to know why Ray had stood her up. She thought that maybe Tony would have some insight into the world of jerk boyfriends, so Tony decided to play devil's advocate and offer an explanation for Ray's behavior.

"Well," he began, only to be interrupted by Ziva, who explained why Ray's actions had hurt her so much. Ray reminded her of her father, how unreliable he had been at times during her childhood.

Inside, Tony was boiling with anger toward both Ziva's boyfriend, and her father. But all that showed on the outside was pure sympathy for his lovely coworker, who deserved the world, not a lousy boyfriend and an absent dad.

Just before he could tell her what he really wanted to say, Ziva spotted a person lurking at their active crime scene, and the opportunity passed.

' _If only she had called,'_ Tony thought, _'Everything could be different.'_

"Ma'am, would you like to go ahead and sit down at your table while you wait?" the hostess said, calling the attention of the Israeli woman who kept pacing back and forth in the waiting area of the restaurant. Every few moments she would look down at her watch, then at her phone checking for messages, and then back outside, trying her best to keep her mind off of what was keeping Ray so long.

Ziva heaved a sigh and agreed. She was only worrying herself more by pacing, and eventually she would work up a sweat and ruin the makeup she had so painstakingly applied as well as her carefully styled hair.

This night was supposed to be special. Ray had gotten reservations at one of the fanciest restaurants in D.C., and she was told to dress up really nice for their meal. Now here she was, in her best dress, but so, so alone.

After an hour and a half of sitting alone at the table in the dimly lit corner of the restaurant, trying her best to not think about where Ray might be, Ziva's phone rang. She eagerly picked it up and accepted the call, expecting it to be an apologetic Ray on the other end of the line. She had been waiting for a message for hours, having given up on trying to contact him herself.

Without even a greeting, she hissed into the phone, "Where are you? I have been waiting for hours, what is taking so long?"

At first there was silence, but then a voice that was definitely not Ray's answered back. "Ziva?"

Ziva's heart skipped a beat and she felt warmth spreading across her face. That was not Ray. It was Tony. She felt embarrassed and irritated at the same time, wondering even more why her boyfriend hadn't called.

"Oh, Tony." Ziva said after collecting her thoughts. "I thought you were… someone else."

"You thought I was Ray," Tony said almost immediately. He could tell from her tone of voice. They had always been able to understand each other in ways besides words.

Ziva mentally kicked herself for not checking the caller ID before picking up. "Yes," she answered bluntly, hoping he wouldn't ask her about what she had said. "What do you want?" she asked impatiently.

Tony let out a sigh. She was shutting him out, which meant there was something she didn't want him to know. "Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to go out for drinks with me, Abby, and McGee, but it sounds like you're _currently occupied_ ," he said, emphasizing the last words.

"Yes," Ziva said as convincingly as possible, both for her benefit and for Tony's. She didn't need his pity or his C I Ray jokes right now.

"So where is the man of the hour? Ray running a bit late?" Tony teased.

"It is none of your business, Tony," Ziva snapped, trying to stay composed in front of the other restaurant guests. She already had caught several couples sneaking glances at her, and the staff kept coming by to ask if she was okay or if she needed anything. Every time she would assure them that her date was on his way, but really she was trying to assure herself.

At Ziva's harsh, defensive tone, Tony realized that the situation was more serious than he thought, and that he probably ought to treat it as such. "You okay, Zi?" he asked, his voice suddenly becoming softer and gentler. "Where are you?" His mind went back over her words earlier and his heart broke as he finally understood the implications of what she had said upon answering the phone. She was sitting somewhere alone, waiting for Ray to show up. Clearly it had been a while and things weren't looking good, if the way Ziva spoke had anything to say about it. She was putting up her protective walls and blocking out everyone else, as she always did when she was upset or hurt.

Hearing Tony's caring, somber voice caused something inside Ziva to snap and all the worry and hurt suddenly rushed to the forefront of her mind. She tried her best to conceal the tears welling up in her eyes as she finally answered Tony's question. "I am at that new restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue. Ray was supposed to meet me here for dinner over 2 hours ago." Her voice came out shaky and strained, but she hoped Tony wouldn't notice.

"Ziva…" Tony breathed, with sympathy flowing from his voice. Even he would never intentionally skip out on a date, especially if the woman was as beautiful as Ziva.

"No, Tony, I am fine," Ziva said forcefully, beginning to close off her emotions once again. "I'm sure he is just… he will be here…" As the words came out of her mouth, she knew they were not true. Ray was not coming. She knew she should probably just leave now and try to forget what he had done, but she was afraid that she was wrong and maybe he would show up at any moment.

Without another word, she hung up the phone and resolved herself to wait for Ray for a little longer. For 15 more minutes, she sat sipping a glass of water and staring at the wood grain of the table, lost in thought. She felt like she was 8 years old again, waiting expectantly by the window of her childhood home for her father to come home from work so she could show him what she had learned at ballet class that day. That same feeling of disappointment and lost hopes had settled in the pit of her stomach again, and she hated it. Was there no one in the world that she could rely on? No one that would treat her as if she were more important that other things in life?

Just as she was about to give up hope, a shadow fell over the table, drawing Ziva out of her thoughts. She looked up, expecting it to be yet another member of the wait staff coming to bother her, but she felt her heart melt as she saw who it really was.

Tony. He stood there, dressed in a suit and tie with his hair combed nicely to one side. The comforting smell of his cologne permeated through the air and Ziva breathed it in, feeling herself start to relax in the presence of a friendly face.

"Mind if I join you?" Tony asked gently, breaking the silence that had sustained from the moment he had arrived.

Ziva bit her lip and nodded, hurrying to wipe any trace of tears from her eyes. Tony smiled and pulled a small bouquet of red roses from behind his back, handing them to her as he sat down at the table. She looked so sad sitting there all alone. He hoped his gesture would cheer her up a bit. He never wanted her to feel alone, not if he had anything to say about it.

Ziva gratefully accepted the flowers and allowed a small smile to cross her face. From her spot across from him, she lifted her gaze to meet his. Her eyes told him everything she was feeling. Hurt, confusion, loss, fear, worry, and now, at least some semblance of peace. Tony's eyes didn't waver from Ziva's as he moved his hand slowly to rest on top of hers, rubbing comforting circles on her hand. They sat in silence, eyes practically glued to each other's. Ziva's full of sadness and hurt, while Tony's were full of love so intense that neither of them could fully recognize it for what it was.

"You did not have to come, Tony," Ziva said after a while, bowing her head so that Tony could not see her face.

Tony sighed and nodded, turning his gaze to look over the restaurant. "Well," he began, turning back to Ziva with a hint of a smile on his lips, "You got all dressed up, someone might as well take you on a date."

Ziva smiled sadly, glad that she at least wasn't alone anymore.

"You look… absolutely beautiful, Zi," Tony said, nearly at a loss for words. Of course, she always looked beautiful, but tonight—he actually couldn't believe that this was real. She was wearing a long black dress, which accentuated her body perfectly and pooled slightly at the floor around her feet. Around her neck she wore her ever-present Star of David necklace, which Tony had given her to replace her old one. It was perfect to wear with the dress. It was not overpowering or too distracting, but it showed off her skin where the neckline of the dress fell. Her dark hair was styled with thick, luscious curls that trailed down her back and over her bare shoulders. It made Tony want to reach out and touch it, but he didn't. He reminded himself that he was not actually on a date with Ziva. He was just there to keep her company so that her entire evening was not completely ruined. Ray wasn't out of the picture yet. Ziva still loved him. So Tony resolved himself to be whatever Ziva needed him to be. He would be the perfect gentleman.

Soon, one of the waitresses made her way to their table, pulling Tony from his thoughts. "Ah, I see your date has arrived. Are you two ready to order?"

Ziva looked like she was about to regretfully decline when Tony spoke up. "Yes, I think my lady knows exactly what she would like." He looked pointedly at her, urging her to go ahead and pick anything off the menu. Flustered, she picked up the menu and chose a pasta dish and a salad.

"I'll have the same, thank you," Tony said when it was his turn to order. "Oh, and a bottle of chardonnay also," he added. As the waitress left to go place their order, Tony turned back to Ziva, looking very pleased.

"Tony, this place is very expensive. We could have eaten somewhere else," Ziva said.

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "I don't mind. Besides, you sat here for 2 hours. It would be weird to just leave."

This caused Ziva to let out a laugh. She felt the tension in her body ease as she observed Tony's relaxed and controlled physical presence. Finally, she could breathe.

"You deserve this, Ziva," Tony said on a more serious note after a few moments of comfortable silence had settled on the table. She looked up quickly, evidently surprised by this remark. What she saw in his eyes was 100% genuine. He really believed what he said.

"I'm not so sure, Tony," she responded, shaking her head. Tears began fill her eyes again, the pain of those hours alone coming back to her.

"Hey," Tony said softly, slowly moving himself to Ziva's side of the booth so that he was seated directly next to her. "I know things like this keep happening to you. I know you haven't had an easy life, and that people treat you like you aren't worth their time, but I promise you…" He turned her so that her eyes were mere inches from his. A tear slipped down her cheek as he placed a gentle hand on her head, softly stroking her hair with his fingers. "You _are_."

Ziva let out a breath of air and smiled as a steady stream of tears trailed down her face. Tony pulled her closer to him and she leaned her head on his shoulder, letting the tears flow freely. To have someone say that to her, to assure her with so much sincerity that she was worth it, meant everything.

"Thank you, Tony," Ziva said quietly, still resting against him. His arm wrapped around her as he placed a kiss on her head.

A half an hour later, Tony and Ziva were enjoying themselves immensely while eating their delicious food. Tony was showing a surprising amount of class considering how fancy a restaurant this was, which Ziva had happily pointed out, causing Tony to put on a show of being offended. He then called over a waiter and asked, with a straight face, if they had chicken nuggets. Ziva laughed with her hands over her face in embarrassment, sorry that she had said anything about Tony's "class."

Ziva's laugh was like music to Tony's ears, especially after seeing how upset she had been when he had first arrived. She had done a complete 180 since then. Together, they ate their food and drank their wine, basking in the good times and happy feelings.

By the time the check came, both had content smiles on their faces and were full from their main course as well as dessert, which had been a delicious crème brûlée. Ziva snuck a peek at the total cost of the meal. The wine itself had been $175. The rest of the meal added up to $270 for the both of them. The total on the check was $445.

Ziva couldn't believe it. "Tony, please at least let me pay for my share," she said, attempting to snatch the bill from his hands.

But Tony was too fast. He slipped his credit card in the folder and held it away from her. "I don't think so Zee-vah," he said playfully, "This is my treat."

After the waitress came and took the bill, Tony stood to help Ziva with her coat. After putting it on, she turned to face Tony, only to find him inches away from her: much closer than she had anticipated. His steely gaze pierced through her eyes, as if he could see every thought that crossed her mind. It was almost overwhelming, and Ziva found that she had a hard time returning the gaze.

"Are you going to be okay?" Tony asked quietly, in a voice that caused Ziva to shudder.

Ziva thought for a moment. "I think so," she said, matching the volume of Tony's voice. Tony nodded, satisfied with her answer, and turned away to grab Ziva's bag and hand it to her.

Once they were ready to leave, Tony offered his arm to Ziva, which she intertwined with her own. They walked together out of the restaurant and into the cool night air.

"Did you drive here?" Tony asked, turning back to face Ziva.

She shook her head. "No, I took a taxi. Ray was going to…" she trailed off. Tony knew what she meant. Ray was going to take her back to his place, but he hadn't come.

Tony didn't want to make a big deal out of this, so he merely nodded and told her he would take her home. Ziva smiled gratefully and they walked to Tony's car.

They were mostly silent the whole drive to Ziva's apartment. Every so often, Tony would look over at her beautiful figure as she gazed straight ahead at the road. She seemed so delicate and innocent. It was a side of her he had never seen before, or at least one that he didn't see often. Something about being let down by Ray had brought about this change. Now, though, she seemed at peace. The road hummed softly under the tires of the car as they drove forward into the night.

When Tony wasn't looking, Ziva would study his features, trying desperately to understand what made him decide to drop his plans and come to her rescue. He certainly had no obligation to do so, and they were, after all, just coworkers. What unsettled her most of all, perhaps, was the look in his eyes. She had seen it before, albeit not that often. Occasionally she would catch that glint in his eye from across the bullpen when he was staring at her. More often she sees it when he watches a particularly good movie. But what does this mean to her?

The car came to a stop in Ziva's parking lot, and both stepped out of the car. Ziva shivered slightly in the cold and Tony told her that he would walk her up to her apartment.

The two friends made their way into the building in relative silence, with only the sounds of their footsteps on the stairs filling the air.

Once they got to Ziva's front door, however, Tony broke the silence. He turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "If you need anything else, at any time, I'll be there."

Ziva closed her eyes and let out a soft breath. "Thank you, Tony. For everything."

"I'm sure Ray will explain what happened tomorrow," Tony added, "I don't think he meant to leave you there alone."

"No," Ziva responded firmly. "If he has anything to say, it will not matter. What he did is…unforgivable."

Tony shook his head slightly in confusion. "Everyone makes mistakes, Ziva."

Ziva turned away, causing Tony's hands to drop from her shoulders. "It was not just this mistake, Tony. There have been others." She fiddled with her keys, avoiding Tony's piercing stare. "Ray does not appreciate me."

Tony looked like he was about to say something, but before he could, Ziva stepped closer to Tony than she had all evening. She placed her hand on his chest, breathing in his scent as her heart started to beat faster. " _But you do."_

Tony's head tilted down to meet Ziva's gaze, his eyes swimming with emotions of sympathy and… love.

Her words caused his heart to melt. In that moment, it was decided. Gently, he rubbed his hand across Ziva's cheek, brushing her hair from her face and holding it back slightly. With his thumb, he wiped a stray tear from her eye, moving his head closer to hers. He pulled her toward him, closing the gap between them, and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her tenderly and with more emotion than anyone had before.

As his lips moved across hers, Ziva felt complete. Her stomach fluttered and her heart skipped a beat when she realized that this was different than any other kiss she had ever been given. This meant something more than 'I think you're pretty' or 'I want you to be mine.'

This meant 'I admire you.' 'I appreciate you.'

'You are _worth it._ '

 **And that's all, folks. I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out. I think this is the most romance I have ever written in one single fic, so hopefully it came out okay. I still feel out of practice after like a 2 year hiatus from fanfiction.**

 **Please let me know what you thought of this story. Do you want more stuff like this in the future? I have plenty more where this came from.**

 **Anyway, I'll be responding to reviews via PM, so make sure you drop one on your way out**

 **Thank you guys so much for reading and actually enjoying what I write. It's really special to me and its incredible that I get to share things like this with the world.**

 **Bye for now,**

 **~NCIS Obsession**


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